diff --git a/scxml.workspace b/scxml.workspace
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bbcb33b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scxml.workspace
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<Workspace>
+    <Distribution path="/opt/ros/noetic"/>
+    <DefaultBuildSystem value="1"/>
+    <WatchDirectories>
+        <Directory>src</Directory>
+    </WatchDirectories>
+</Workspace>
diff --git a/scxml_core/include/scxml_core/scxml_sm_interface.h b/scxml_core/include/scxml_core/scxml_sm_interface.h
index 9e8b49e..de408e5 100644
--- a/scxml_core/include/scxml_core/scxml_sm_interface.h
+++ b/scxml_core/include/scxml_core/scxml_sm_interface.h
@@ -3,11 +3,13 @@
 #include <QString>
 #include <QSet>
 #include <QFuture>
+#include <set>
+#include <scxml_core/scxml_sm_interface.h>
 
 namespace scxml_core
 {
 /** @brief Container for states and their associated transitions */
-using StateTransitionMap = std::map<QString, QSet<QString>>;
+using StateTransitionMap = std::map<QString, std::set<std::pair<QString, QString>>>;
 
 /** @brief Creates a map of known states and transition events associated with those states */
 StateTransitionMap getStateTransitionMap(const std::string& scxml_file);
@@ -23,11 +25,24 @@ class ScxmlSMInterface
 public:
   ScxmlSMInterface(const std::string& scxml_file);
 
+  /**
+   * @brief checks if an event exists
+   */
+  bool eventExists(const QString& event, std::set<std::pair<QString, QString>> events);
+
+  /**
+   * @brief gets the state to which a desired transition occurs
+   * @param search_text - insert transition text you'd like to match
+   * @throws if you don't have that transition, it will return itself as it's neighbor
+   */
+
+  const QString getNeighbor(const QString& state, const QString& search_text);
   /**
    * @brief Adds a callback to the input state that will be invoked on entry to the state
    * @param async - flag for executing the input callback asynchronously
    * @throws exception if the state does not exist in the state machine
    */
+
   void addOnEntryCallback(const QString& state, const std::function<void()>& callback, bool async = false);
 
   /**
diff --git a/scxml_core/src/demo.cpp b/scxml_core/src/demo.cpp
index 7ab4643..102a1c2 100644
--- a/scxml_core/src/demo.cpp
+++ b/scxml_core/src/demo.cpp
@@ -38,45 +38,47 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
       // Get the active state and available events
       QStringList active_states = interface.getSM()->activeStateNames();
       const QString& current_state = active_states.at(0);
-      QSet<QString> available_events = map.at(current_state);
+      std::set<std::pair<QString, QString>> available_events = map.at(current_state);
 
       std::stringstream ss;
       ss << "Available events: [ ";
-      for (const QString& event : available_events)
+      for (auto& pair : available_events)
       {
+        const QString& event = pair.first;
         ss << event.toStdString() << " ";
       }
       ss << "]";
 
-      // Get user input as to which event to execute
-      bool done = false;
-      while (!done)
-      {
-        std::cout << ss.str() << std::endl;
+      //      // Get user input as to which event to execute
+      //      bool done = false;
+      //      while (!done)
+      //      {
+      //        std::cout << ss.str() << std::endl;
 
-        // Get the character input
-        auto input = std::cin.get();
-        // Throw away the enter input
-        std::cin.get();
+      //        // Get the character input
+      //        auto input = std::cin.get();
+      //        // Throw away the enter input
+      //        std::cin.get();
 
-        if (std::isdigit(input))
-        {
-          int idx = static_cast<int>(input) - 48;
-          if (idx < available_events.size())
-          {
-            interface.submitEvent(available_events.toList().at(idx));
-            done = true;
-          }
-          else
-          {
-            std::cout << "Index " << idx << " was not in range [0, " << available_events.size() - 1 << "]" << std::endl;
-          }
-        }
-        else
-        {
-          std::cout << "Input must be numeric" << std::endl;
-        }
-      }
+      //        if (std::isdigit(input))
+      //        {
+      //          int idx = static_cast<int>(input) - 48;
+      //          if (idx < available_events.size())
+      //          {
+      //            interface.submitEvent(available_events.toList().at(idx));
+      //            done = true;
+      //          }
+      //          else
+      //          {
+      //            std::cout << "Index " << idx << " was not in range [0, " << available_events.size() - 1 << "]" <<
+      //            std::endl;
+      //          }
+      //        }
+      //        else
+      //        {
+      //          std::cout << "Input must be numeric" << std::endl;
+      //        }
+      //      }
     }
   }
   catch (const std::exception& ex)
diff --git a/scxml_core/src/scxml_sm_interface.cpp b/scxml_core/src/scxml_sm_interface.cpp
index 63ac0f7..aef81b7 100644
--- a/scxml_core/src/scxml_sm_interface.cpp
+++ b/scxml_core/src/scxml_sm_interface.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ static const char* HISTORY_STATE_ELEMENT = "history";
 static const char* HISTORY_STATE_ID_ATTRIBUTE = "id";
 static const char* TRANSITION_ELEMENT = "transition";
 static const char* EVENT_ATTRIBUTE = "event";
+static const char* TARGET_ATTRIBUTE = "target";
 
 /**
  * @brief Recursively adds states and transitions to the map
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ static const char* EVENT_ATTRIBUTE = "event";
  */
 static void getStateTransitionsRecursive(tinyxml2::XMLElement* state,
                                          scxml_core::StateTransitionMap& map,
-                                         QSet<QString> inherited_events)
+                                         std::set<std::pair<QString, QString>> inherited_events)
 {
   using namespace tinyxml2;
 
@@ -46,8 +47,14 @@ static void getStateTransitionsRecursive(tinyxml2::XMLElement* state,
       throw std::runtime_error("'" + std::string(TRANSITION_ELEMENT) + "' element does not have '" +
                                std::string(EVENT_ATTRIBUTE) + "' attribute");
 
+    const char* name = transition->Attribute(TARGET_ATTRIBUTE);
+
+    std::pair<QString, QString> list = std::make_pair(QString(event), QString(name));
+
+    inherited_events.insert(list);
+
     // Add the event name to the map
-    map.at(state_id).insert(event);
+    map[state_id] = inherited_events;
 
     // Get the next transition element
     transition = transition->NextSiblingElement(TRANSITION_ELEMENT);
@@ -71,7 +78,7 @@ static void getStateTransitionsRecursive(tinyxml2::XMLElement* state,
                                std::string(HISTORY_STATE_ID_ATTRIBUTE) + "' attribute");
 
     // Add this state to the map
-    map[QString(id)] = QSet<QString>{};
+    map[QString(id)] = std::set<std::pair<QString, QString>>{};
 
     // History states do not have transitions or nested states, so no need to recurse into it
     history = history->NextSiblingElement(HISTORY_STATE_ELEMENT);
@@ -102,7 +109,7 @@ StateTransitionMap getStateTransitionMap(const std::string& scxml_file)
   StateTransitionMap map;
   while (state)
   {
-    getStateTransitionsRecursive(state, map, QSet<QString>{});
+    getStateTransitionsRecursive(state, map, std::set<std::pair<QString, QString>>{});
     state = state->NextSiblingElement(STATE_ELEMENT);
   }
 
@@ -136,6 +143,43 @@ ScxmlSMInterface::ScxmlSMInterface(const std::string& scxml_file)
   }
 }
 
+// use this to determine the next state in the state machine, given the name of the transition you'd like to query
+const QString ScxmlSMInterface::getNeighbor(const QString& state, const QString& search_text)
+{
+  QString next_state;
+
+  for (auto& pair : state_transition_map_.at(state))
+  {
+    if (pair.first == search_text)
+    {
+      return pair.second;
+    }
+  }
+  return next_state;
+}
+
+bool ScxmlSMInterface::eventExists(const QString& event, std::set<std::pair<QString, QString>> events)
+{
+  int i = 0;
+  const int j = events.size();
+  for (auto& pair : events)
+  {
+    if (pair.first == event)
+    {
+      return true;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      i = i + 1;
+    }
+
+    if (i == j)
+    {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 void ScxmlSMInterface::addOnEntryCallback(const QString& state, const std::function<void()>& callback, bool async)
 {
   if (state_transition_map_.find(state) == state_transition_map_.end())
@@ -165,7 +209,7 @@ bool ScxmlSMInterface::submitEvent(const QString& event, bool force)
 
   // Ensure at least one of the active states has the specified transition
   auto it = std::find_if(active_states.begin(), active_states.end(), [this, event](const QString& state) -> bool {
-    return this->state_transition_map_.at(state).contains(event);
+    return eventExists(event, state_transition_map_.at(state));
   });
 
   if (it == active_states.end())
@@ -185,7 +229,7 @@ bool ScxmlSMInterface::submitEvent(const QString& event, bool force)
   {
     for (const QString& state : active_states)
     {
-      if (state_transition_map_.at(state).contains(event))
+      if (eventExists(event, state_transition_map_.at(state)))
       {
         // Check if the asynchronous callback is finished before submitting the event
         if (!future_map_.at(state).isFinished())